This invention relates generally to wire processing apparatus having control means, such as apparatus in which wire segments are conveyed to wire processing machines which strip insulation from the segment ends and attach terminals thereto. In particular, it relates to wire processing apparatus with control means having an optical device and associated circuitry for determining whether or not a stripped end meets desired parameters and for preventing operation of the terminal attachment machine if it does not.
Optical systems for inspecting manufactured products are well known. For instance, Perkins III et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,554, describes an apparatus for inspecting the valve retainer assemblies of an engine head to ensure that each such assembly has its full complement of valve spring retainer keys. Another example is Wilder, U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,928, which discloses a system for inspecting workpieces and identifying them based on markings on the workpieces optically detected and distinguished by means of associated logic circuits. This latter system is even trainable, by relatively unskilled workers, by exposing the system to sample markings of the same general type as the markings on the workpieces to be ultimately inspected.
There is need in the market, however, for a wire processing apparatus having quality control means, which is inexpensive and simple to operate, for inspecting wire segment stripped ends to determine which are properly stripped and should continue to be processed, and which are not properly stripped and should not be further processed.